Paved railway structure and method



March 2 1926. 1,574,810

w. s. GoDwlN PAVED RAILWAY STRUCTURE AND METHOD Filed Jan. l5 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet l WMA@wwmmmmwmwwmMmmmmm Ef 5 ,e1

March 2 1926.

W. S. GODWIN PAVED RAILWAY STRUCTURE AND METHOD Filed-Jan. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet m n w March 2,1926. 1,574,810

i W. S. GODWIN PAVED RAILWAY STRUCTURE AND METHOD 5 sheets-sheet 5 Flage Jan. l5, 1924 Patented Mar. 2, 1925.

ATENT cerros.

VfILIiIAM-S. GDDWIN, 0F BALTIM'0RE M'ARYLAND.

PAVEDl RAILWAY STRUCTURE vAND. 'METHOD Application filedl'anuary 15, 1924i. SeralvNo. 686,275;

To all @07mm t may concer-11,.'

Be it known that I, VILLrA-M Si GoDWIN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the city of Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in- Y Paved Railway Structures and Methods, of which the following is a specification.

ln the construction of paved street railways, the factors to be considered are the weight andi speed of the cars, the upkeepy of the ears,y the noise resulting from operation of the cars on the rails, cost, length of life and economy as to raits efficiency and economical disposition of the material below the rails, resistance to the weight and impact of the tra-flic on the pavement, particularly heavy motor trucks,4 the exclusion `of moisture from the structure and the en ciency and economy as to placing and life of the pavement.

The object of the invention is to produce a structure in which all these governing factorsare duly provided for, so that all the features co-ordinate in the production of an improved structure and a new result in the way of euiciency and economy.

In the structure of the invention the cross -tieis eliminated and the rails rest upon continuous resilient creosoted wood strips which inturn rest on continuous steel pilates, or if resilience is not desired, the rails may rest directly on th-e plates which extend longitudina-lly of the track, one beneath. each rail. These plates inthe preferred structure are aboutl l2 inches wide, providing an .ample bearing surface, the rails and plates being embeddedy in the. concrete. The entire paving base or ballast is concrete laid in one solid slab. The rail and wooden strip are fixed on the plate by means of clips or in any suitable manner, the paving at the sides of the rail being preferably protected by paving guards as in my copending` application No. 673,885.

The advantages of this. structure arethat the continuous support and uniform bearing thus afforded make it possible to use relatively light or shallow rails without less of `any of the'd'esired solidity, resistance, or permanence of the structure as there is no unsupported space which must be bridged over by the rails as in the case of wooden ties Where the bridged space is 12 inches or steel n plates where vthe space bridged yover is36 inches.

The advantages. of the medium height T- rail are unquestioned. 'lhe difference in costrepresents an initial saving of from to over the'present regular prac,- tice, and the smaller T-rails, are not .only more economical as to first cost but .more ehcient. Shallow light rails have more wave motion, and thereforemore tendency to creep under trahie when: mounted oncross ties, but this tendency is eliminated `vvhenthe rails are given ka continuous bearing..

The wood cross ties which have been eliminated from the presen-t structure, serve. in the previous structures. the functions Aof holding the rails in gauge, increasing the bearing areaof the rails `on the bed of broken stone, concreteor soil, andsupply resilience.

In the present construction where. the. rail and the continuous supporting platel are permanently fixed and embedded in the concrete, there is no possibility of the track working out ofl gauge, and with such abearing plate which for the average modern street railway structuremaybe about 12 inches wide, a concrete'base 6 inches deep wil-l withstand the heaviest trafhcy to which yit may be subjected with an amply sulicient factor of safety', and the concrete-so laid requires no reinforcing element.

Transverse members other than wooden ties have been used in some previous struc tures. These only serve to holdlthe.. trackto gauge during the laying and setting of the concrete base. Their costis important,1 runningfrom` 80 to 50 per foot oftrack with a correspondingly large installation cost.,

ln the new structure these items of' eX- pense are practically eliminatedby the use of a removable gauge clamp which hold-s the heads of u the. rails tothe proper spacingor gauge during the placing and setting of the concrete. In this connection'it should lbe understood that the transverse kbraces which engages the rail heads and spaces them directly where they are in turn engaged .by the wheels. 1

The third purpose of the wooden cross ties is to provide a resilient support for the track. A resilient track is generally considered to givelonger rail life, less tratiic noise, less upkeep, and less rail corrugation, but it is not regarded as essential in all instances, and certain of the features of the present invention may be utilized in a rigid structure as well as in one which is resilient.

In the preferred form of the present invention continuous resilient strips of wood7 which is preferably creosoted to preservc'it and may to best advantage be about 7S of an inch thick and of the width of the rail base, are provided between the rail bases and the continuous supporting plate to give a continuous and controlled resilient rail support and to keep car noise to the minimum. Then rigid rails are desired the strip is omitted.

The traffic impact breaks the bond and shatters the concrete in every instance where the rails rest directly on the concrete base. This eliminates the possibility that the concrete might be considered as supporting` the rails between the cross ties of wood or steel as now in use in the previous structures.

There is also a considerable saving in concrete by the elimination of wood ties and the use of a continuous plate rail support, as with this structure a continuous concrete baseof uniform section is made possible, with a consequently great reduction of depth or thickness of concrete beneath the rails, whereas previously a considerable depth of concrete was necessary Von account of the cutting of the base into sections or transverse strips by the ties.

An importantl function of the present structure is the distribution of the load over the largest practicable area of the sub-base and it is found that the continuous supporting plate structure of the present invention embedded in a concrete slab 6 inches ydeep below the plate is superior in its capacity for supporting traffic to a base 7 inches thick of similar material used with steel plates spaced apart. A continuous plain concrete slab 7 ft. wide and G inches deep below the bottom of the continuous supporting plates has'been found sufliciently strongrto hold any modern traffic both of electric cars and trucks. Transverse lmembers are unnecessary and wooden ties materially weaken the concrete by dividing it transversely into strips or sections as aforesaid.

The present arrangement or structure has the further advantage that it overcomes the necessity of having one base for the track and practically another one above it for the paving near and between the tracks, the

necessary thickness of the base below the paving with improved structure being a little over aj the thickness of that used with the wooden ties.

Objections have been made to the use of monolithic paving such as asphalt and concrete adjacent the rail on account of the cost of removing and replacing it for rail joint repairs. The initial saving in the present structure is such as to pay many times over for any joint repairs which may be necessary, and the actual removal and replacement of the rails is comparatively speaking not diflicult or expensive with the present structure.

An important feature ofl the invention resides in the method of assembling the rails and rail supporting structure. The use of actual practice of a paved street railway structure in which there are no cross ties of any sort, each rail being supported on a continuous longitudinal plate, the rail and plate being embedded in the concrete so that the rails are not only supported but maintained in gauge by the concrete, is believed to be new and to afford increased economy trom various sources as already pointed out. This improved structure is made available in a practical way by applicants improved method of construction which consists in assembling each rail with its supporting plate with or withoutthe intermediate resilient element or wooden strip, clamping therails together by means of a temporary gauge clamp which engages and spaces the'rail heads, pouring the concrete which is to form the bed so that it is confined in a suitably shaped body around, beneath and above the supporting plates, and on both sides of the rails, permitting the concrete thus poured to become set in place, then removing the clamps and laying the paving if the roadway is to be paved.

The rails and supporting plates may be supported in the trench by means of wooden blocks or bricks and permitted to remain in the structure, or the clamps may be exten ded outward to each side of the bed where the clamps and rail supporting plates are supported by any suitable means, so that the entire supporting structure is removed when the concrete is set,

Tn the accompanying drawings T have illustrated a paved railway structure embodying my invention in the preferred form, together with the method of laying or assembling the same.

In the drawings- Figure l is a transverse section through a single rail showing the rail supporting structure, a fragment of the concrete bed and paving with a wheel-tread engaging the rail.

Figure 2 is a top plan of the structure shown in Figure 1, the wheel being omitted.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal iit-ttion on the line 3, 3 of Figure l, the paving guard. adjacent the plane of vsection being partly removed for convenience of illustration, and a portion of the pavement and bed between the plane of the section, and the rail and rail supporting structure being removed.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan of a rail and a longitudinally extending supporting plate beneath the rail to which the rail is secured, the rail being broken away intermediately to expose the longitudinal wooden strip between the Arail and the supporting plate. Y

ln Figure 5 l have shown a cross section of the trench which may receive and mold the bed. The section also includes the rails with the gauge clamp supporting the rails upon blocks at each side as during pouring and tamping in accordance with the method of my invention.

Figure 6 is a similar section showing the rails, plates and resilient members between the rails and plates, the same being supported upon blocks in the trench which is to be occupied by the bed, the rails being spaced andA held in gauge by means of a gauge clamp in accordance with a modification of my method of assembling the rails and rail supporting structure.

Figure 7 is a sectionon the line 7, 7 in Figure 6, looking to the left.

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8, 8 in Figure 6, looking to the left in said figure.

Figure 9 is a section corresponding to Figure l but to a :reduced scale and without the wooden strip.

Referring to the drawing by numerals, each of which is used to indicate the same or similar parts in the different figures of the drawings,

rlhe paved railway structure, as shown, in Figure l to 1l, comprises the rails l which may be of comparatively shallow or light cross-section, longitudinally extending supporting plates 3 beneath the rails, a bed of concrete G in which the rails and plates are embedded and in the preferred resilient structure a strip 5 of wood between the rail base and'the supporting plate 3.

lhe rails are secured by spaced ll-shaped clips 2, or in other suitable and convenient manner, to thel longitudinally extending supporting plates 3, one of which is placed under each rail, the rails overlying the centre lines of the plates and the plates being placed continuously ond to end for the full length of the rails.

The base or bottom liange l of the rail may rest directly on the plate as in Figure 9, orthere may be a layer of wood or equivalent resilient inaterial 5 between lthe rail bise l and the supporting plate, the wooden strip being comparatively thin, a strip 5/8 of an inch thick and of the width of the rail base having been found practical in this connection, and the structure of the invention may be adapted to support a rigid track by omitting the wooden strip and placing the rail directly on the longitudinal.supporting plate as in Figure 9 as aforesaid.

ln the resilient structure the rail and the wooden strip together are secured 'to the longitudinal plate 3 by means of the UJ- shaped clips 2, and with the rigid eonstruction the wood is omitted and the rail is secured directly to the plate by lJ-shaped clips which are made shorter for this purpose.

The supporting plates may to advantage be of steel about of an'inch thick, l2 inches wide and l0 ft. long, thoughthese dimensions are merely illustrative and in no wise intended to limit the scope of the invention. The pla-tes, as shown, punched every few inches on each side of the base, the holes 7 and 7l on the opposite sides being, as shown, in F igurev ll, slightly staggered or out of alignment. Every other hole on each side of the rail is occupied by a clip 2. The intermediate holes 7 and 7l provide for the admission of liquid grout which is poured and forced into the spaces which may be left under the plates 3 after tainping. llfhen filled in this way or when properly placed and tainped, the bed affords a continuous support and bearing for the plates 3.

`rthe clips 2 have already as lll-shaped members, if. boing easily Linderstood that the cross arni S through the corresponding hole in the plate, that one leg of the ll 9 takes over the edge f the base, and that the other leg l0 engages the plate from beneath apoint beyond the hole in the direction of the centre of the rail. lt will be observed by examination of Figure 3 that the clips are reduced in crosssection intermediately of the cross arm 8 of the ll, the reduction of thickness applying to the bottom leg l0 and the portion of the cross arm adjacent the same. rlhis reduction provides shoulders l2 on each side of the clip which reston top of the supporting plate tl, and support the clip prior to its engagement with the rail Vbase, and theupper leg of the clamp or clip is preferably inclined'at 13 to conte-rin to the top surface of the rail base el. f

lt is obvious that the clips on oneY side may be placed in position in the holes with the shoulders l2 resting on the plate adjacent the opening, and the rail base either with or without the wooden strip or resilient member 5 may be thrust under these clips, and that the clips on the other side of the rail base may be rocked or otherwise entered into the holes in the plate opposite the other edge of the rail base and forced home by driving wedges lLL between the outer or remote surface l5 of the respective clips, and the outer edge of the corresponding time' been describec f of the U extends openings 7 in the plate. The wedges force the adjacent clip againstl the edge of the rail base and force the rail into close engagement with the opposite clips so that the rails are positioned by the outside edges of the openings 71, from which they are spaced by the thickness of the clips. The clips preferably have sharp edges 7 2 which cut into the edge of the rail base and prevent creeping of the rails.

lt is further of interest to note that the clips or at least the portion of the clips to be used on one side of the rail are preferably so formed and proportioned relatively to the opening 7, and the wedge is in turn so formed and proportioned that the thickness of the wedges in the direction at right angles to the taper, i. e., between the arrow points -at 16 in Figure 1, substantially equals or exceeds the corresponding dimension of the portion of the clip at 1T which engages loeneath the plate on the side of the opening adjacent the centre of the rail, and the length of the bottom leg of the U substan tially equals the length of the'opening 7.

The wedges 14 are preferably provided as shown with heads 1S which engage the concrete and prevent loosening of the wedges, and are convenient for engagement in Vremoving the wedges and preferably the rails have projecting members at the side which are engaged by the concretejto prevent creeping. These may bein the form of angle irons 75, Figure 9, placed vertically and having one flange secured to the web of the rail, and the other projecting laterally into the concrete.

The rails as thus described with the longitudinal supporting plates 3 and the clips 2, and the wedges 14, including in the preferred form of the invention the resilient or wooden strip 5 between the base of the rail and the supporting plate, are when assembled as described, suitably supported in the position which they are to occupy in the iinished structure, usually in a shallow broad ditch which is -to contain and mold the bed of concrete by which they are held and supported in their final position. The longitudinal plates and rails may be supported by blocks of wood cut from old railroad ties or bricks or other suitable materials about which the concrete 6 is poured and which are left in the concrete bed when completed. The preferred arrangement provides for a concrete bed about G inches deep beneath the supporting plates and continuous in the direction of the length of the rails. This concrete bed preferably complete'y surrounds and encloses the longitudinal supporting pla-tes 3 except as to the portion of the top surface thereof engaged by the rail base or the resilient strip and also eX- tends up on both sides of the rail 1 immediately adjacent'the web and almost up to the top flange lfrom which point it is preferably inclined downwardly at Q4 on each side of the rail providing for a corresponding and reverse tapering of the pavement E25 which is supported along its edges by paving guards' 19 and 20, preferably spacedv away from the rai '.s, the space between the aving guards and the rails being preferably illed with asphaltic or equivalent sealing material 21 and 22 which adheres to or engages closely both the paving guards and the rails, and seals the joints, preventing seeping of water into the structure and permitting the necessary yielding and vibration of the rail without breaking' the bond or destroying the sealing engagement between the iller and the paving guard on one side and the rail on the other.

The downward inclination 24 of the top surface of the concrete bed on each side of the rails and the increased thickness of the concrete bed adjacent the rail, with the consequent decrease of the thickness of the pavement 25 adjacent the rail, makes it possible to embed the rail in the concrete and at the same Itime reduce the total thickness of concrete. Other sources' of economy resulting' from this arrangement have been pointed out in the preamble. Owing to the continuous support and to the arrangement of the concrete and the reduction in the thickness of the paving adjacent the rail, a shallower rail is used than can be used in the previous structures of corresponding strength designed for similar loads, the expense of obtaining and laying cross ties is saved and also a portion of concrete, as the rails and pavement may be supported ona thinner bed of concrete owing to the coi `auity of the bed both verticaly 'and longitudinally, and a structure of longer life and greater resistance is obtained at greatly reduced cost. Not only is the initial cost of construction reduced, but the cost of removing and replacing the rails is correspondingly reduced.

The arrangement and proportioning of the holes 7, the wedges 14 and the clips 2, as described, make it possible when the rails are worn or for any other reason it becomes desirable to remove and replace them or otherwise to removeI them, to release the clips on the wedge side, i. ve., the side of the rail on which the wedges are placed, and remove the rail by merely taking out a strip of con crete about 6 or 7 inches wide on the we( side of the rail, removing the paving guard on that side and the corresponding portion of the paving. Under these circumstances the wedges are withdrawn, the clips on the wedge side of the rail are struck with a hammer to loosen them, and they are then moved back in their sockets, permitting the clips to be raised and removed. lhen the Wedges and clips on one side have been thus removed, the rails may be likewise moved to the side, disengaging them from the remaining clips and making it possible to raise them through 4the opening already' described as formed by removing a strip of concrete. v

An important feature of the invention in the way of inakir j the innirovement easily Capable of practical application, resides in my improved method of assembling the structure which lV have described. llooden cross ties have, as aforesaid, been used to increase the bearing surface et' the rails to lend resiliency to them 1and to maintain 'the gauge, and metal cross ties have been used to maintain the gauge and to some extent to increase the bearing surface. ln my new railway structure in which the increased bearing surface is supplied by longitudinally extending supporting plates and the resiliency by longi tudinal stri is of wood between the rail bases and the supp 'rting plates, there are no cross ties and the gauge is n'iaintained by the concrete or equivalent material forming the bed in which the longitudinal supporting plates ano preferably also the rails are embedded, the latter up to or almost up to the head. ln some of the previous structures metal cross ties have been used which serve practically no function but maintaining the gauge, which ties are coinparatively expensive to obtain and to lay. ln the present instance the entire expense of cross ties is eliminated, and "he rails are held in gauge until the bed is completed, by means of removable gauge clamps extending transversely and secured preferably to the heads of the rails at opposite and corresponding points. The rails and longitudinal supporting plates and resilient Wooden vstrips assembled with the rails clamped in gauge, are supported in position during the pouring and setting of the concrete and the clamps are removed, and the supports are left in the structure or the gauge clamps themselves may be used supports as well as to hold the track in gauge, the, entire supporting structure in this instance being `removed when the concrete is set. y

Referring to Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8, in which the manner of assembling the structure is illustrated, l have shown in Figure 5 a combination support and gauge clamp and in Figure 6 a gauge clamp 3l Without `the supporting feature. The gauge clamp and support 30 consists of a transverse mem-- ber er red 32 which to save Weight and eX- pense may be in the form of a pipe to which are secured tivo abutments 33 having Vouter gauge surfaces spaced apart by a distance equal to the distance between the inner surfaces of the rail heads when spaced aceording to the gauge to which the clamp is intendedto relate. These abutments 33 are `engage the members shovvn in the form of collars on the pipe or rod 32 which may be secured inthe .position stated in any suitable manner, as by. sweating or Welding orpinning by means of pins 36 extending through the collars and through the rod or pipe 32. 'lhe gauge surface 34 referred to may be formed on the collar in any suitable manner. ln the present instance it is sho-fwn as formed on an arm 37 formed integral Vwith each collar'extending -a short distance on one'side of the member 32 to present the gaugesurface, and onl the other side to a greater length forming part cfa truss by which the transverse member *is-re- `inforced for the 1purpose of supporting .the f track structure during placing and setting `of the concrete. f The gauge clamp further comprises hook plates 39 :apertured to admit and engage the rod member 32 and to slide thereon, the hook y feature beingV in the form of .a shoulder or flange l0 at the lower edge ofthe plate which engages under the edge of the rail head on the outside of the rail. These plates v3.91am controlled by. nuts .lll engaging a suitable thread 42 on the member 32, so that the member 32V having been placed tra-nsversely of the rails which are suitably supported, the flanges or hooks being placed under the edges of therail heads as aforesaid, and `the nuts 4l suitably tightened, the rails aire clamped in gauge and leveled. 4A number of the gauge members suitably spaced and corresponding to the length of track thus clamped are employed to provide for .hold ing the tracks or rrails in gauge during placing and setting of the bed. l Y ln the form of track support and gauge clamp illustrated in Figure 5,I the transverse member 32 is extended beyond the rail -clamps on each side, which extension may be in the form of separate lengths of piping i3 held in position by pipe couplings 44; which i3 and the transverse clamp member 32, the adjacent ends of both members being threaded to engage `the coupling, and .there `is a foot or base 45 supporting each `end of the .gauge structure, one being secured to the outer end of each extensie-n 43 ofthe member 32, and I .have also shown a truss or brace lltillustrated inthe form of a small I-beam one at each side abutting at one end :against the lcorresponding foot e5, andat the 4other lend against .the corresponding upright arm 37., the said upright arms being spaced and positionedby a compression Vor thrust member 47 abutting at its opposite ends againsteach of said members 37 respectively.

Figure 5 shows rails l secured to and suspended from the gauge clampand support 30, the rails being in the position they are to occupyin the finished structure, and .having longitudinal supporting .plates .3 secured thereto. In order to give the clamp tamped and set.

cross bar 32 having permanently secured a solid support, the feet 45 at each side are rail heads and the bends of the hooks engaged with the outer bottom edges of the head. Before suspending the rails in this way, the longitudinal supporting plates 3 and strips 5 may be clamped to them, and when the rails have been placed in position as shown, supported on the gauge clamps, the feet 45 of which rest on the blocks 48 at each side, the latter being suitably leveled, the concrete is poured into the ditch and tamped in over and around the plates 3 and preferably against the sides of the rails 1, the top surface of the concrete adjacent the rails being given an upward inclination toward the rails and preferably meeting them near the bottom of the rail head. When the concrete has set, the clamps are removed and the paving is laid over the bed.

In Figure 6 I have shown a gauge clamp without the rail supporting feature, the function of this clamp being merely to hold the rails in gauge while the concrete is This clamp comprises a thereto spaced abutments 50 having outwardly disposed gauge surfaces 51 for engagement with the inner surfaces of the rail heads and spaced to correspond to and with the spacing of the rail heads for the particular gauge for which the clamp is to be used. The gauge also comprises movable spacing members 52 corresponding to the hooks 39 of the gauge 30, and nuts 53 by which these spacing members 52 are pressed against the outer. surfaces of the rail heads when the gauge clamp is in operation. Between the spacing members 52 and the nuts 53 I have shown offset hook plates 54 which are controlled by the nuts 53, and are adapted to support paving guards 19 beneath the edges of which the hooks engage andl which are also held between the body of the hook and the spacing members 52 of the clamp.

The paving guard 19 on the outside of the rail is in the form of an angle iron and may be referred to as a straight paving guard illustrated in Figures 1 and 6.

In Figure 6 I have shown a flange Way paving guard 20 extending along the inside edge of each rail head and supported between the abutments 50 which are the stationary gauge xing members and hooks 59 which are suspended on the transverse gauge members 32. These hooks or hook plates 59, as shown, are apertured at 60 to receive and pass the bar 32, and may be placed on the bar by passing the bar through these apertures before placing the abutments 50 which may to the best advantage be permanently secured to the transverse rod or pipe 32. The hook 59 or hook plate is preferably capable of being moved along` the bar, and is, as shown, locked or fixed in position to support the paving guard by means of pins 61 which may to zidvantage be slightly tapered or wedge shape passed through corresponding openings 62 in the transverse member back of the guard, i. e., on the inside toward the center of the space between the rails.

In assembling or laying the rail structure in accor-dance with the method of my invention in the form illustrated in Figure 6, the rails 1 are first clamped to the longitudinal supporting plates 3 by means of clips 2 or in any other suitable manner, the resilient strip 5 being preferably placed betv'een the rail'base and the plate, as already described, and held between said members by the clips 2. The parts thus referred to having been assembled on the ground or in any convenient place .and being as thus assembled spaced substantially to gauge are then placed in any suitable manner approximately in the position which they are to occupy and supported at exactly the right level upon blocks or other suitable supporting means G3 placed beneath the plates and spaced at considerable intervals along the rails. The gauge clamp 31 is then secured to 'the rail heads, the abutments 50 or more particularly thegauge surfaces 51 thereof being placedin contact with the inner surfacesl of the rail heads. The outer paving guards 19 are then raised into position along the rails next to the members 52 which serve to space them from the rails providing for the admission of a suitable filler. The hook plates 54 are then placed so that they engage beneath and support the outer straight paving guards 19 and the nut-s 53 are screwed up against the hook plates 54. In

Athis connection it is noted that the flange 65 may be provided for the purpose of n shielding the nut and keeping the concrete from covering and locking the same, and lling the thread immediately adjacent the nut. Tightening the nuts 53 clamps the rails.

The flange way paving guards 2O or any paving guards which may be used on the inside of the rails are then held up against the abutments 50, and the hook plates 59 are slid along the guage rod 82 until they hook under the guards which are supported 'anchors 76 of the guardsV beingv embedded lzii therein, :and vis thoroughly tainped and .filled in'oi' lilled in and tainped'under the f supportingplates-3 and around the plates [and beneath the paving guarda `and preferably vagainst the rail, the portion immediately beneath the rail head being .oinittedito provide for the presence of a "filler preferably elastic and in the nature otasphalt between the guards and the head and the concrete,'-sealing the structure at this point and preventing seepage of water, and the concreteV is preferably inclined upwardlyY from the cent-re level at 66 vto the base ot' the vrail^ guards providing -anincreased thickness ot concrete at the -sides ot the rails where-shattering is-apt to occur rand econoniizing the paving `imaterialzat this point by -giving the edges thereof ,a lreducing .taper .and making it possible to use narrow orshallow paving guards further making it possible to de- .crease the thickness of the entire bed of concrete on account of the increased supporting -fresistance l provided n adjacent the 1 iiail. The supporting blocks 63 may be permitted toremain in the structure. 'The' concrete having-set, thecgauge clainpsare removed and the paving .is laid as illus- :trate'd in` Figure l1. and .they-filler isi `poured into the spaces adjacentthe'rail.

, An important advantage of ytheuse of the l gaugefclainps in this way in place of ties,

and in addition `to the Yfeature of economy in savingx-the costf ott-ies and vof laying theisame and lother items ,above related, nresides in the 'increased speed of construction, and 'in' the fact that the,` gauge clamps :may beiapplied directly to the rrail heads which are the portions of lthe vrai-ls as'to which exact placing' is necessary. .It is clearly apparent, in view ofv the disclosure, f that exactly the desired spacing :will be umore easily and cheaply obtained in this way than by setting therails to gauge while securing the bases of the rails` to ,wood or iron ties in accordance vwith the previous practice.

In accordance with the most approved method, the bed material, which may be concrete or other equivalent substance, is placed' beneath the plates rand up to the 1 level of the plates 3 throughout the portion r of *the bedwbeing laid, and `then Jtainped.

yand the bed, :is apt to be formed with a hollow beneath the plates, more or less correctly repre- VBy careful placingfand tamping ofr the `material at vthe side ofA and beneath the plates, the vbed may be so laid'as'to 'term a continuous and uniform support throughout the length and width of the plates, but

the ordinary run of labor cannot be depended upon to produce this class of work, it carelessly laid and tainped,

sented by the dotted line 85 in ligure 1. This difficulty l have overcome, making it possible to -so lay the concrete or similar bed as to afford a continuous support facrosstlie entire Width of the plates. rllhisl` isaccomplished as outlined in connection with the description of the plates 3 and the holes 7, 7l on each side of the rail. ln'this connection I provide holes 7l 7l between each pair of the holes 7, 7 and 7l, 71,#

respectively, which receive the clips 9. These holes 7 and 7l may be shaped and placed similarly to the holes 7 and 7l, the

exact shape being in most instances immaterial, and they should be placed, as shown;

near the opposite edges olf the rail base. These holes are utilized to great advantage in completing the laying of the base, liquid' gront being` poured `through the holes 70 to 7l, lilling the depression or hollow 85,-V

see Figure l, which is ordinarily left beneath the central portion of the plates after tainping.

ln the practice of my method in the Vpreferred form I lind it most desirable, as

aforesaid, to lay a portion ot' the concrete forming the bed beneath the platesand up to the level of the plates on all sides. The portion of the bed thus laid is then tainped on both sidesol the rails and between the rails. linmediatel after tainpinv` li 'uid `grout is poured through the holes 7 7l',

entirely lilling any spaces which may have been yleft beneath the plate, or the liquid grout or concrete may be forced through these openings 7 7l into the spaces beneath the plate, and when the material thus inserted has hardened, which hardening takes place simultaneously with the hardening of the-rest of the bed beneath the plate,

fit. presents a continuous and uniform flat surface beneatheach plate upon which the plates bear, being thereby provided with a continuous and uniform support after. layin T and tainping the portion of the bed beneath the plates and filling it if necessary.

The remainder of the bed is laid above the plates and around and between the rails,

iracticall Y u) to a Joint -ust beneath the rail heads, as already described and illustrat-ed, particularly 1n Figures l, 5 and G. l have thus described specifically and in 'detail my invention consisting ot an iinproved railway structure and method ol erecting or :installing the same; however,

lll() ,\J\J\.` the supporting plates and rails are cinbedded, the concrete serving to hold the rails in gauge.

3. ln a railway structure, rails, continuous metal supporting plat-es one beneath each rail extendingv longitudinally et the rails, means securing the rails to the plates, a continuous longitudinal strip ot ref entmaterial between each rail base, and the plate, and held in position by said securing means, and a bed ot concrete surrounding and substantially enclosing the plates and the strips and extending up the sides oi the rails, the concrete bed beingcontinuous and oit' uniform transverse cross section.

4. In a railway structure, rails, continuous metal supporting plates one beneath each rail extending longitudinally oi the rails, means securing the rails to the lates, a continuous longitudinal strip of dient material between cach rail base, and the plate, and held in position by said securing means, and a bed ot concrete surrounding and substantially enclosing the plates and the strips and extending up the sie es ol' the rails and serving to hold them in gauge.

The method ot assembling a railway structure which consists in clamping the rail heads in. gauge and supporting and holding them in position, placing base beneath the rails to support them and hold them in gauge, and removing the clamps.

G. The method ot assembling a railway structure which consists in clampingthe rails in gauge and supporting and holding` them in position, placing a base beneath the rails to support them and hold them in gauge, and removing the clamps.

7. rllhe method of erecting a railway structure which consists in securing each rail to a separate longitudinal continuous supporting plate, clamping the rails in gauge, supporting the rails and plates in position, and placingV a bed of concrete around and beneath the supporting plates to support the rails and hold them in gauge, and removing` the clamping means.

8. The method of erecting a railway structure which consists in securing;` each rail to a separate continuous longitudinal supporting plate with a continuous strip oi structure which consists in securing separate longitudinal supporting plates to the rail bases, clamping the rails in gauge by temporary transverse meml ers place at intervals along the rails and secured one to each oi the rails, supporting the rails and longitudinal plates thus clamped in position, placing a bed beneath and adjacent the plates to support the rails and hold them in gauge, and removing the temporary transverse clamping members.

l0. rlhe combination in a railway structure ot a longitudinal rail, a longitudinal plate supporting the rail and having holes at the opposite edges of the rail base, shaped clips in said holes engaging over the rail base and beneath the plate and wedge members co-operating with the clips on one side only, Ytorcing them against the rail and the rail against the clips on the opgositeside, and a body of concrete in which the structure is embedded, said wedges having an enlarged head to be engaged by the concrete and adapted lor engagement by a tool in removing the wedges.

1l. 'A railroad structure comprising rails, a continuous plate beneath each rail, means securing 'the rail to the plate and a concrete bed extending around, above and beneath the plates, holding the rails in gauge and in grade.

l2. A railway structure comprising a rail having a head and a base, a longitudinal and continuous wooden strip beneath the rail base, a concrete bed in which the rail base and wooden strip are embedded, the concrete extending up the sides ot the rail and spaced below the head, and yielding filler beneath the head and between the head and the concrete.

13. ln a railway structure, a rail hava. head and a base, a rigid bed for the rail, wood between the rail base and the bed, the rigid bed material engaging the rail at the sides between the head and the base but spaced below the head, and bituminous material between the said rigid material and the head.

A. ln a railway structure, a rail having a head and a base, a continuous longitudinal steel supporting plate secured to the rail base, a wooden cushion between the rail base and the steel plate, a concrete bed in which the plate is embedded and which extendsnp the side of the rail between the rail base and the head but spaced away from the head, and a yielding filler below the rail head and between the rail head and the concrete.

15. The combination in a railway structure of two rails each having a head and a base fiange, longitudinally extending continuous plates beneath the base ange, the plates having holes spaced along the edges of the base Harige, clips in said holes securing the base flange to the plates, and

a concrete bed beneath the plates on both,

sides of the plates and above the plates, affording a continuous support for the plates and holding them against lateral displacement.

16. The combination in a railway structure of two rails each having a head and a base flange, longitudinally extending continuous plates beneath the base flange, the plates having spaced holes along the edges of the base flange, clips in said holes securing the base iiange to the plates, and a concrete bed beneath the plates on both sides of the plates and above the plates, affording a continuous support for plates and holding them against lateral displacement, the concrete bed being continuous inthe direction of the length of thev rails and laterally from one plate to the other.

17. The combination in a railway structure of two rails each having a head and a base flange, longitudinally extending continuous plates beneath the base flange, the plates having spaced holes along thev edges of the base flange, clips in said holes securing the base flange to the plates, and a concrete bed beneath the plates on both sides of the plates and above the plates, affordinO a continuous support for theplates and holding them against lateral displacement, the concrete bed being continuous in the direction of the length of the rails and laterally from one plate to the other, and resilient means between the rail bases and the plates.

18. In a railway structure, rails, a continuous longitudinally extending supporting plate beneath each rail, fastening means spaced at intervals along the rails, securing each rail to its continuous plate and a bed of rigid material in which the plates are embedded and which is continuous in the direction of the length of the rails and transversely of the rails extending onl each side of the plates, holding the plates against lateral displacement and supporting them.

. 19. In a railway structure, rails, a continuous longitudinally-extending supporting plate beneath each rail, fastening means spaced at intervals along the rails, lsecuring each rail to its continuous plate and a bed of rigid material in which the plates are embedded and which is continuous in the direction of the length of the rails and transversely of the rails extening on each side of the plates, holding the plates against lateral displacement and supporting them, resilient means between each rail and the underlying plate, the rigid material being spaced beneath the rail head and with said resilient means providing for vertical movement of the rail.

20. In a railway structure, rails, a continuous longitudinally-extending supporting plate beneath each rail, fastening means spaced at intervals along the rails, securing the rails to the continuous plate and a bed of rigid material in which the plates and rails are embedded and which is continuous in the direction of the length of the rails and transversely of the rails-extending on each side of the plates, holding the plates against lateral displacement and supporting them, resilient means between each rail and the underlying plate, the rigid material being spaced downwardly from the rail heads and with said resilient means providing for vertical movement of the rails. p

2l. In a railway structure, a rail, a continuous longitudinally extending plate beneath the rail, clips placed at intervals along the railsysecuring' the latter to the plates, the clips being placed on opposite sides of the rails, an abutment on the plates for positioning each clipl on one side of the rail, and clip on the opposite side of the rail, forcing the co-operating clips against the rail and forcing the railagainst the clips on thel opposite side of the rail whereby the latter clips take a bearing against the abutments and the rail is positioned by said aoutments.

22. in a railway structure, a rail, a continuous vlongitudinally extending plate beneath the rail, clips placed at intervals along the rail, securing the latter to the plate, the clips being placed on opposite sides of the rails, an abutment on the pilates for positioning each clip on one side of the rail, and a wedge co-operating with each clip on the opposite side of the rail, forcing the cooperating clipsagainst the rail and forcing the rail against .the clips on the opposite side of the rail and the said latter clips against the abutments, whereby the rail is positioned by said abutments, and a concrete bed in which the longitudinal plates, the clips andthe wedges are embedded.

23. In a railway structure, a rail, a continuous longitudinallyl extending plate beneath the rail, clips placed at intervals along the rail, securing the latter to the plate, the clips being placed on opposite sides of the rails, an abutment on the plates for positioning each clip `on one side of the rail, and a wedge cto-operating with the clips on the other side of the rail and forca 'wedge cooperating with each lOO ing the rail against the clips on the abutment side of` the rail whereby the rail is positioned by said abutments, and a concrete bed in which the longitudinal plates, the clips and the wedges are embedded, the thickness of each wedge being substantially equal to the width of the engaging surface of the tio-operating clip so that the clips controlled by the wedges may be released. by removing the concrete on that side of the rail and removing` the wedges, and without disturbing the concrete beneath the plate.

24. The combination in a railway structure of rails, a longitudinally extending continuous plate beneath each rail, the plate having holes spaced along each side of the rail, clips in said holes, securing the rail to the plate, the holes on one side of the ail having an excess width, and a wedge co-operating with each clip in the larger openings only, forcing the clips against the rails and forcing the rails against the clips on the opposite side ot the rails the latter clips taking a bearing against the edges of the corresponding holes in the plates.

25. The Combination in a railway structure ot rails, a longitudinally extending continuous plate beneath each rail, the plate having holes spaced along each side of the rail, clips in said holesfsecuring the rail to the plate, but holes on one side ot the rail having an excess width, and a wedge co-operating with each clip in said larger r openings, forcing the clips against tle rail and forcing the rails against the clips on the opposite side of the rail, the thickness oi' each wedge approximating the corresponding dimension of the engaging surface of the clip with which it co-operates, a concrete bed in which the plates and clips and a portion of each rail are embedded, the arrangement ot the clips making it. possible to remove the clips on one side and release the rail by removing the concrete on the wedge side of the rail and removing the wedges, thereby releasing thev clips on that side and removing them without disturbing the concrete beneath the plate, whereby the rail may be moved to the corresponding side and removed.

26. The method of laying a paved railway structure which consists in clamping the rails to each other according to the desired gauge by means of temporary transverse members extending from one ra-il to the other, and clamping paving guards to said transverse members on each side of the rail, supporting the paving guards and rails thus clamped in the final position which they are to occupy, -placing a concrete bed around, beneath and between the rails, portions of the guards being also embedded in the concrete, permitting the concrete to harden so that it supports the rails and holds them in gauge and supports the paving guards, removing the clamping members, laying a pavement on the bed.

27. The method of laying a paved railway structure which consists in clamping the rails to each other according to the desired gauge by means of temporary transverse .members extending from one rail to the other, and clamping paving guards to said transverse members on each side of the rail, supporting the paving guards and rails thus clamped in the final position which they are to occupy, placing a concrete bed around, beneath and between the rails, portions of the guards being also embedded in the concrete, permitting the concrete to harden so that it supports the rails and holds them in gauge and supports the paving guards, removing the clamping members, laying a pavement on the bed and up to and against the paving guards, and sealing the space between the paving guards and the rails, which members are spaced slightly apart to admit the sealing material.

28. The method of laying a paved railway structure which consists in securing a longitudinally extending continuous supporting plate to the base of each rail with a resilient member between the rail base and the plate, securing the rails to each other in the desired gauge by means of temporary clamping members, securing paving guards on each side of the rail and spaced there- Jfrom supporting the rails thus clamped in the final position, placing a bed of plastic around and beneath the plates and above the plates on each side of eachl rail, the same being spaced slightly below theV rail head and having embedded therein a portion of the rail guards, laying a pavement on the bed, and filling the space between the paving guards and the rails, and between the rail heads and the bed with a relatively soft filling material.

29. The method of laying a railway structure which consists in securing each rail to a continuous longitudinally supporting plate, clamping the rails in gauge by temporary means, extending from one rail to the other, holding the rails and the supporting plates in final position, and laying a bed of plastic around 'and beneath the plates, extending continuously along the plates and from one plate to the other and beyond the plates on the outsides thereof, permitting the bed to set, and removing the clamps.

30. A railway structure comprising rails, a continuous plate beneath each rail, means securing the rail to the plate, a concrete bed extending around, above and beneath the plates, the rails being partially embedded .therein and being provided with members placed at intervals and projecting laterally into the concrete to prevent creeping of the rails.

31. A. railway structure comprising rails, a continuous plate beneath each rail, means securing the rails to the plates, a concrete bed extending around, above and beneath the plates, the rails being partially e1nbedded therein and being provided with members placed at intervals along the rail and projecting laterally from the web of the rail into the concrete to prevent creeping of the rails.

32. A railway structure comprising rails, a continuous plate beneath each rail, means securing the rails to the plates, the concrete bed extending around, above and beneath the plates, the rails being partially embedded therein and being provided with members placed at intervals along the rails and projecting laterally from the webs of the rails into the concrete to prevent creeping of the rails, said members being separate pieces secured to the rails.

33. A railway structure comprising rails, a continuous plate beneath each rail, means securing the rails to the plates, a concrete bed extending around, above and beneath the plates, the rails being partially embedded therein and being provided with members placed at intervals along the rails and projecting laterally from the webs of the rails into the concrete to prevent creeping of the rails, said members being in the form of angle irons extending in a vertical direction, having one Hang@ secured to the web and the other flange projecting laterally therefrom.

34. The combination with a tamped roadbed of a longitudinal supporting plate for a railway rail, means for fastening a rail to the plate and apertures in the plate at the sides oi the rail through which cement may be poured to supplement the tamping oi the bed and to give a continuous bearing. ilor the plate, said apertures being open when the rail is fastened to the plate.

35. The method of laying a railway structure which consists in securing a longitudinally extending continuous supporting plate to the base of each rail, supporting the rails and plates in final position, 'laying and tamping a bed beneath and at the sides of and between the plates, and introducing a soft plastic into the spaces which may be left beneath the plates.

36. The Vmethod of constructing a railroad ,which consists in securing each rail to a longitudinal supporting plate, leaving apertures at the sides of the rails, supporting the rails and plates with the rails in gauge and in final position, placing a bed of plastic material. beneath and between the plates and on both sides of the plates, and introducing a plastic through the openings in the plates into the spaces beneath the plates.

Signed by me at Baltimore, Maryland, this 11th day of January, 1924:.

. WILLIAM S. GODWIN. 

